Bedtime: Soothing Good Night Stories

I’ve never seen anything like it

Based on the Nursery Rhyme Michael Finnegan

Listen to the Bedtime Story I’ve never seen anything like it, based around our arrangement of the Nursery Rhyme Michael Finnegan. Here you can listen to excerpts of all stories (narrated by Peter Bradbury). You can read along with every story online on our website or you can download all story texts and soundtracks individually (MP3 + PDF). In addition, all 20 stories are available together as an illustrated eBook with audio included (our full package download).

All Bedtime Stories (based on Nursery Rhymes)

Good Night Story based on Michael Finnegan

(Story 3 of 20)

Michael Finnegan

I’ve never seen anything like it

Michael was just like other boys. He liked to kick a football like other boys, he liked to ride his bicycle as fast as he could and hear the wind rush through his hair just like other boys. And he liked to play in the dirt with stones and worms and spiders like most boys do.

Michael was just like other boys until That Wednesday! On That Wednesday it all changed!

He woke up quite early and he felt different. He wasn’t quite sure how different, but he knew that he felt hairy.

On That Wednesday his mum walked into his bedroom as normal to wake Michael up for school, and then she screamed, and screamed and screamed!

“Michael has got long hairs coming from his chinny,” said his mum. “AAAAHHHHHH ... he’s got really long hairs coming from his chinny,” said his sister, “and he is only FOUR YEARS OLD!”

“Oh, yes he has,” said his dad trying to keep everyone calm, “he has hairs on his chinny.”

“It’s not right, I must take him to the doctor’s,” said his mum.” So Michael’s mother took him down to the doctor’s.

On the way they passed the farmer: “I’ve never seen anything like it,” he said.

Then they passed the school teacher. “I’ve never seen anything like it,” said Miss Millichip.

And then they passed the professor. “In my wide experience, I can state that I have never seen anything quite like it,” said professor Milligan.

As expected the doctor confirmed that Michael had indeed grown whiskers on his chinny ... chin chin, and he also said that it was very special for a four year old to have such a wonderful beard.

Over the next few weeks and months many people heard about the hairs on Michaels chinny and they travelled from miles around to see it. Most of them said “I have never seen anything like it,” or something a bit like that.

Michael would bow, and he would nod, and wave and the crowd would clap with excitement. Michael was having a very nice time. He got sent a lot of presents. There were TV’s, games, books, footballs and bicycles. Everyone seemed to love him because he had these fantastic whiskers just like a cat. But he was so busy talking to people from the television and radio and games makers, that he never had time to see his friends and kick the football, or ride his brand new bicycles or play with spiders or the dirt or the worms and this made Michael feel a little sad.

One day he went for a walk with his Mum to get away from all the people that had come to stare at his marvelous whiskers. It was a beautiful, cold windy winter morning and he was walking through the woods when a huge gust of wind hit Michael so hard it knocked him right over.

All music taken from

The Nursery Rhyme Collection

Volumes 1 - 8

As he got up he felt a strange feeling. He had felt it before on That Wednesday, but this time it was a little different. As he got to his feet he felt his chinny and he was amazed. It was smooth, very smooth just like all other four year old boys.

“Oh NO,” said his mother. “I must take this boy back the doctor’s right now. Something has changed with his chinny. Maybe the wind has blown the hairs back into the chinny.”

On the way to the doctor’s they met the farmer. “What? No beard on the chinny?” he said. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”

Then they saw Miss Millichip, Michael’s school teacher. “Well,” she said, “the whiskers have been whisked away ... I have never seen anything like it.”

Then they saw the professor, and he said: “The force of the wind was greater than the force of the whiskers, so the whiskers have been blown back in again, nevertheless I’ve never seen anything like it.”

Michael and his mother finally got to the doctor’s and they told him all about the windy day and the whiskers. “Mrs. Finnegan,” the doctor said, “I think that the wind has come up and blown them in again”, he said, “I have never seen anything like it.” They laughed. “But don’t worry Mrs. Finnegan, the whiskers will grow back again when Michael is older! But before it all begins again, in the meantime, I suggest that Michael plays with some footballs, worms, bicycles, dirt and maybe even some spiders.”
Michael smiled. “Come on Mum,” he said, “let’s go home.”

Song:
I know an old man
Named Michael Finnegan
He grew whiskers
On his chinnegan (=chin again)
The wind blew them off
But they grew in again
Poor old Michael Finnegan (=fin again)
Begin again

I know an old man
Named Michael Finnegan
He went fishing with a pinnegan (=pin again)
Caught a fish
And dropped it in again
Poor old Michael Finnegan
Begin again

I know an old man
Named Michael Finnegan
Climbed a tree
And bopped his shin again
Slid back down
And scraped his skin again
Poor old Michael Finnegan
Begin again
Poor old Michael Finnegan